Tradewinds Airlines
Encyclopedia
Tradewinds Airlines is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 cargo airline
Cargo airline
Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...

 based in Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...

, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It operates a cargo schedule between the USA and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

.

History

The airline was established in 1969, as Wrangler Aviation and started operations in 1973, using Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...

 aircraft under FAA Part 91. It became a Part 121 carrier in 1978 and became an all-cargo airline in 1981.

Circa 1991- 1992, issues of Tradewinds citizenship, ownership, and compliance with federal airline laws resulted in the conclusion and finding that through the unregulated use of "Delaware Company Law" and the practice of subsidiaries being parts of other subsidiaries," Wrangler Aviation the parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...

 of which Tradewinds was a part; did not meet the fitness requirements of a certificated
Operating certificate
Operating certificate is a category of license issued by a government agency allowing an individual or company to provide a controlled type of service. These certificates are generally issued for a limited time period...

 airline of the United State.http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/orders/Wrangler_Aviation.pdf The conclusions resulted in restructuring
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....

 changes to the company to continue operating.

The current name was adopted in 1991. It was what let Piedmont Triad International Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport is an airport just west of Greensboro, serving Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the entire Piedmont Triad Region in North Carolina. The airport has 3 runways; the third opened January 27, 2010 for traffic. The airport is located just off...

 be an "International Airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...

," because previously, Piedmont had served the eastern United States. In December 2007, Donald Watkins, Lawyer from Alabama bought part of the company. On June 6, 2008, the airline reduced its staff by 70% and parked all 5 B747 and 3 A300.

During 2006, explorative attempts were made by Valiant Airways to contract Tradewinds Airlines for "start-up" operations, but these attempts failed to result in services coming to fruition.http://www.airwaysmag.com/channels.html?article_id=105&channel_id=6

Further press releases on June 3, 2008 indicate that Tradewinds returned 5 747 B200F aircraft to the lessor and furloughed employees that operated the lines.

December 2008 Tradewinds Airlines was purchased by Sky Lease One, Florida.

On January 2009 Caribbean Transportation Services (Owned by FedEx), Sky Lease 1 (DBA Tradewinds Airlines) only customer indicated that effective May 14, 2009 will ceased all operations. Sky Lease future is questionable.

Effective July 1, 2009 Tradewinds Airlines is operating from Miami to Lima, Peru; Barranquilla and Medellin, Colombia. According to reliable sources, in the very near future Tradewinds will operate in addition to the Airbus 300, three MD-11 to South America.

Tradewinds Airlines is now Sky Lease Cargo and operates a fleet of MD-11 to South America from Miami International Airport. Sky Lease Cargo plans to reinstate the A300 aircraft to operate from Miami Int'l Airport to Colombia: Bogota, Barranquilla, Medellin; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Santo Domingo, DR and Panama City, Panama. Sky Lease Cargo is owned by Alfonso Rey.

Bankruptcy

On July 25, 2008, Tradewinds Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...

 protection for the third time. The company cited rising fuel costs and low demand, but plans to continue to operate flights during reorganization.

Destinations

As of August 2008, Tradewinds Airlines operates the following services:
  • Domestic freight destinations: Greensboro
    Greensboro, North Carolina
    Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...

    , Hartford
    Hartford, Connecticut
    Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...

    , Indianapolis
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

    , Miami
    Miami, Florida
    Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

     and Dallas
    Dallas, Texas
    Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

    .
  • International freight destinations: Aguadilla
    Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
    Aguadilla , founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 wards and Aguadilla Pueblo...

    , Karachi
    Karachi
    Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...

    , San Juan
    San Juan, Puerto Rico
    San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

    , Taipei
    Taipei
    Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

     and Seoul
    Seoul
    Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

    .

Fleet

As of June 6, 2008, Tradewinds Airlines fleet includes:
  • 8 Airbus A300B4 Freighter
    Airbus A300
    The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...


Incidents and Accidents

On June 7, 2006, a Boeing 747-200F by the registration of N922FT had an engine failure on takeoff at José María Córdova International Airport
José María Córdova International Airport
José María Córdova International Airport is the main airport serving the Colombian city of Medellín and its surrounding metropolitan area. The airport is located about 30 minutes from the urban area by the new Las Palmas express way, in the municipality of Rionegro...

. The pilot aborted, but the plane overran the runway. None of the 6 on board were injured. However, the plane was substantially damaged. See Video

External links

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